Incinerator toilet

ABSTRACT

An incinerator toilet comprising a rotary carriage having thereon upwardly facing waste receptacles successively positionable below a toilet seat and a combustion means adapted to direct a burning mixture of gas and air downwardly into each receptacle at a burning station with a whirling motion. The combustion means includes a downwardly facing combustion chamber, means for introducing gas into the upper end of the chamber, and means for introducing air tangentially into the upper end of the chamber. A central vertical exhaust duct in the combustion chamber leads to an afterburner to which additional air is supplied.

- United States Patent [1 1 INCINERATOR TOILET Primary ExaminerKenneth W. Sprague Inventor: Victor A. Gill, Corona Del Mar,

Calif.

[73] Assignee: Nasco Engineering Incorporated, El

Attorney -Ford W. Harris, Jr. et al.

[57] ABSTRACT An incinerator toilet comprising a rotary carriage having thereon upwardly facing waste receptacles succes- Segundo, Calif.

Feb. 3, 1972 [22] Filed;

121 mmm 4 4 RmE MA 1 R W9 "0 3 9 um J. mu 3 2 "mm 2 L f 1 0 P .M P mm A UIF 1]] l 2 8 2 555 .l:l[

chamber, and means for introducing air tangentially References Cl into the upper end of the chamber. A central vertical UNITED STATES PATENTS exhaust duct in the combustion chamber leads to an afterbumer to which additional air is supplied.

1l0/9 X 1 0 9 X 12 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures 2,477,632 8/1949 3,548,421 12/1970 Valdespino 3,436,765 4/1969 Sundberg PATENTEDUEB 4197s 3776152 SHEET 10? 2 INCI-NERATOR TOILET BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates in general to the incinerator toilet art and, more particularly, to an: incinerator toilet of the type wherein circumferentially spaced, upwardly facing waste receptacles are successively positioned below a toilet seat and a combustion means. by a rotary carrier on which the receptacles are mounted.

Still more specifically, the invention contemplates a rotary incinerator toilet of the type comprising: a rotary carriage; means mounting the rotary carriage for rota+ tion about a vertical axis; a toilet seat mounted above the rotary carriage on-one side'of the axis; downwardly facing combustion means mounted above the rotary carrier on the opposite side of the axis for. generating a downwardly directed flame; circumferentially spaced, upwardly facing waste receptacles carried byv the rotary carrier and successively positionable: below the toilet seat and the combustionmeans inresponse. to rotation of the carrier; and means for rotating the carriage about its axis.

PRIOR ART The following U. S. Patents constitute prior art: Liebmann, U.S. Pat. No. 2,477,632, filed: Aug. 2, I949; Sundberg, US. Pat. No..3,436,765, filed Apr. 8, 1969.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF INVENTION One object of the inventionis to provide a rotary incinerator toilet of the foregoing nature: wherein theem tire rotary carrier is vertically shiftable along its axis1between raised and lowered positions to bring the receptacles into an out of operative relationships with thecombustion means and a waste discharge. means below the toilet seat.

An importantobject ofthe invention is to provide an incinerator toilet wherein the combustion means 1 includes means for directing a burning mixture of gas-and air downwardly into each receptacle at the burning sta-v tion with a whirling motion. The turbulence created by the spiral flame pattern in the waste receptacle results ondary combustion in the afterbumer, utilizing the secondary air supplied thereto.

Theforegoing objects, advantages, features and results of the present invention, together with various other objects, advantages, features and results which will be evident to those skilled in the incinerator toilet art in the light of this disclosure, may be achieved with the exemplary embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in detail hereinafter.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS- In the drawings:

FIG. 1 isa vertical sectional view of a rotaryincinera- I tor toilet embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken as indicated by the arrowed line 22 of FIG. 1; I

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view similar to FIG. 1, but taken along the arrowed line 33 of FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated along the arrowed line 44 of FIG. 2; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are fragmentary sectional views respectively taken along the arrowed lines 55 and 6-6 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT OF INVENTION tionmeans 22. In the particular construction illusin increased combustion efficiency. Also, the centrifugal action of the whirling mass of burning gas. and air in the receptacle throws the cooler air to the outside adjacent the peripheral wall of the receptacle, thereby maintaining the receptacle at alower temperature.

More specifically, an object is to achieve the foregoing whirling motion of the gas-airmixture being burned by introducing air tangentially into the upper end of a downwardly facing combustion chamber with which the upper end of the waste receptacle registers, the gas also being introduced into the upper end of the combustion chamber. I Still another object is to provide an exhaust means for products of combustion from the waste receptacle unburned gas enters the afterbumer through the ear-- haust duct in the combustion chamber to provide sec-' trated, there are two of the waste receptacles 20 on the rotarycarrier 18, spaced apart. Thus, when one of the receptacles 20 is in register with the discharge duct 16, the other is in register with the combustion means 22, and vice versa. The waste receptacles 20 are open topped and are adapted to telescope over the lower end of the discharge duct 16 and the lower end of a downwardly facing combustion chamber 24 forming part of the combustion means 22. This telescoping relation exists when the rotary carrier 18 is elevated from a lowered position to a raised position in a manner to be described hereinafter.

The rotary carrier l8'is formed of any suitable hea resistant material and is shown as a housing from which the upper ends of the waste receptacles 20 project. The

rotary carrier 18 is filled with a suitable heat insulating material 26- which surrounds the waste receptacles 20.

The rotary carrier 18 is shown as mounted on a tubular vertical shaft 29 which is verticallyslidable on and rotatable on a vertical post 28 secured at its upper and lower ends by upper and lower supports 30 and 32. A motor 34, FIG. 2, drives the rotary carrier 18 through a belt 36 trained around pulleys on the motor shaft and the shaft 29. Any suitable control means, not shown, causes the motor 34 to advance the rotary carrier 18 through an angle of 180 in response to manual actuation, thereby displacing the waste receptacle 20 which was under the toilet seat 14 to a position under the combustion chamber 24, and vice versa.

Considering the manner in which the rotary carrier 18 is shifted between its raised position, FIG. 1, and its lowered position, FIG. 3, the shaft 29 is axially slidable on the post 28. Referring particularly to FIG. 4, a rotatable, but axially immovable, collar 38 on the shaft 29 is engaged by a yoke 40. More particularly, the arms of the yoke 40 embrace the collar 38 and engage diametrically opposed pins 42 thereon. The yoke 40 is located at one end of an arm 44 pivotally connected to the housing 12 at its other end, at 46. A compression spring 48 acting on the arm 44 biases the rotary carrier 18 upwardly to its raised position, wherein the waste receptacles are telescoped over the discharge duct and the combustion chamber 24 in the manner previously described. An eccentric 50 driven by a motor 52, FIG. 2, is connected to the arm 44 by a pivoted link 54 and serves to shift the rotary carrier 18 between its raised and lowered positions, raising of the carrier being aided by the spring 48. It will be understood that the motor 52 is operated in timed relation with the motor 34 through any suitable control system, not shown, so that the carrier 18 is lowered prior to rotation thereof through 180 and is then displaced upwardly into its raised position.

It will be understood that upon upward shifting of the rotary carrier 18 into its raised position, the combustion means 22 is activated in any suitable manner to incinerate any waste material in the receptacle 20 brought into operative telescoping relationship with the combustion chamber 24. The combustion means 22 will now be considered in detail.

The combustion means 22 includes a housing 57 and a motor-blower combination 58, FIG. 6, having an air outlet duct 60 which communicates with the upper end of the combustion chamber 24 tangentially the combustion chamber formed in the housing 57. Gas is introduced into the upper end of the combustion chamber 24 through a line 62 in the region where the air duct 60 communicates with this chamber. The gas-air mixture formed in the combustion chamber 24 is ignited by a suitable ignitor 64.

Tangential air introduction into the upper end of the combustion chamber 24 through the air duct 60 results in a downwardly whirling flame which descends into the waste receptacle 20 below the combustion chamber 24 and consumes any waste material therein. The spiral or vortex pattern formed by the burning gas-air mixture is indicated by the arrow 66 in FIG. 1. As previously indicated, this flame pattern results in increased combustion efficiency. Also, the centrifugal action of the whirling mass of burning gas and air throws the cooler air to the outside adjacent the wall of the receptacle 20, thereby maintaining the receptacle at a lower temperature.

The gaseous products of combustion are exhausted through a central vertical exhaust duct 68 around which the whirling mass of burning gas and air spirals in descending downwardly into the waste receptacle. The exhaust 68 communicates at its upper end with one end of a horizontally extending afterburner 70 formed in the housing 57, the other end of which has connected thereto an exhaust duct 72 extending to a suitablepoint of disposal. Secondary air supplied by the motor-blower combination 58 is delivered to the end of the afterburner 70 remote from the exhaust duct 72 through an air duct 74. The initial gas-air mixture is preferably excessively rich. Consequently, some unhas been disclosed for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that various changes, modifications and substitutions may be incorporated in such embodiment without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims appearing hereinafter.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an incinerator toilet, the combination of:

a. a rotary carrier;

b. means mounting said rotary carrier for rotation about a vertical axis and vertical movement along said axis between a lowered position and a raised position;

c. a toilet seat mounted above said rotary carrier on one side of said axis;

cl. downwardly facing combustion means mounted above said rotary carrier, and circumferentially spaced from said toilet seat, for generating a downwardly directed flame;

e. circumferentially spaced, upwardly facing waste receptacles carried by said rotary carrier and successively positionable below said toilet seat and said combustion means in response to rotation of said rotary carrier;

f. means for rotating said rotary carrier about said axis; and

g. means for moving said rotary carrier vertically along said axis between said raised position, wherein one of said receptacles is in close proximity to said combustion means, and said lowered po sition, wherein said waste receptacles are spaced below said combustion means.

2. An incinerator toilet as defined in claim 1 wherein said combustion means includes means for directing a burning mixture of gas and air downwardly into a said receptacle therebelow with a whirling motion.

3. In an incinerator toilet, the combination of:

an upwardly facing waste receptacle;

means for shifting said receptacle between waste receiving and waste burning positions;

downwardly facing combustion means above said burning position for directing a burning mixture of gas and air downwardly into said receptacle with a whirling motion;

exhaust means for discharging gaseous products of combustion from said receptacle; and

means for displacing said receptacle upwardly into close proximity to said combustion means.

4. An incinerator toilet as defined in claim 3 wherein said combustion means includes:

a. a downwardly facing combustion chamber;

b. means for introducing gas into the upper end of said chamber; and

c. means for introducing air tangentially into the upper end of said chamber.

5. An incinerator toilet according to claim 4 wherein said exhaust means includes a central vertical exhaust duct in said combustion chamber.

6. An incinerator toilet as defined in claim 5 including an afterburner connected to the upper end of said exhaust duct.

7. An incinerator toilet as set forth in claim 6 including means for introducing air into said afterburner.

8. In an incinerator toilet having an upwardly facing waste receptacle, means for moving said receptacle between waste receiving and waste burning positions, exhaust means for discharging gaseous products of combustion from said receptacle and combustion means, the improvement comprising:

a housing;

a first combustion chamber formed in said housing in a position vertically higher than said waste receptacle;

a first air duct connected to said housing for introducing air into said first chamber;

a second combustion chamber formed in said housing position vertically higher than said first chamber; I

a second air duct connected to said housing for introducing air into said chamber; and

an exhaust duct connected to said housing communicating said first and said second combustion chamber.

9. In a toilet as claimed in claim 8 including:

a second exhaust duct connected to said housing and communicating said second chamber and the environment; and

baffles connected to said housing and positioned within said second chamber, wherein said baffles are positioned between said second air duct and said second exhaust duct.

10. In a toilet as claimed in claim 8 wherein said exhaust duct is positioned in the central portion of said first chamber.

ative said combustion means. 

1. In an incinerator toilet, the combination of: a. a rotary carrier; b. mEans mounting said rotary carrier for rotation about a vertical axis and vertical movement along said axis between a lowered position and a raised position; c. a toilet seat mounted above said rotary carrier on one side of said axis; d. downwardly facing combustion means mounted above said rotary carrier, and circumferentially spaced from said toilet seat, for generating a downwardly directed flame; e. circumferentially spaced, upwardly facing waste receptacles carried by said rotary carrier and successively positionable below said toilet seat and said combustion means in response to rotation of said rotary carrier; f. means for rotating said rotary carrier about said axis; and g. means for moving said rotary carrier vertically along said axis between said raised position, wherein one of said receptacles is in close proximity to said combustion means, and said lowered position, wherein said waste receptacles are spaced below said combustion means.
 2. An incinerator toilet as defined in claim 1 wherein said combustion means includes means for directing a burning mixture of gas and air downwardly into a said receptacle therebelow with a whirling motion.
 3. In an incinerator toilet, the combination of: an upwardly facing waste receptacle; means for shifting said receptacle between waste receiving and waste burning positions; downwardly facing combustion means above said burning position for directing a burning mixture of gas and air downwardly into said receptacle with a whirling motion; exhaust means for discharging gaseous products of combustion from said receptacle; and means for displacing said receptacle upwardly into close proximity to said combustion means.
 4. An incinerator toilet as defined in claim 3 wherein said combustion means includes: a. a downwardly facing combustion chamber; b. means for introducing gas into the upper end of said chamber; and c. means for introducing air tangentially into the upper end of said chamber.
 5. An incinerator toilet according to claim 4 wherein said exhaust means includes a central vertical exhaust duct in said combustion chamber.
 6. An incinerator toilet as defined in claim 5 including an afterburner connected to the upper end of said exhaust duct.
 7. An incinerator toilet as set forth in claim 6 including means for introducing air into said afterburner.
 8. In an incinerator toilet having an upwardly facing waste receptacle, means for moving said receptacle between waste receiving and waste burning positions, exhaust means for discharging gaseous products of combustion from said receptacle and combustion means, the improvement comprising: a housing; a first combustion chamber formed in said housing in a position vertically higher than said waste receptacle; a first air duct connected to said housing for introducing air into said first chamber; a second combustion chamber formed in said housing position vertically higher than said first chamber; a second air duct connected to said housing for introducing air into said chamber; and an exhaust duct connected to said housing communicating said first and said second combustion chamber.
 9. In a toilet as claimed in claim 8 including: a second exhaust duct connected to said housing and communicating said second chamber and the environment; and baffles connected to said housing and positioned within said second chamber, wherein said baffles are positioned between said second air duct and said second exhaust duct.
 10. In a toilet as claimed in claim 8 wherein said exhaust duct is positioned in the central portion of said first chamber.
 11. In a toilet as claimed in claim 10 wherein said first air duct is connected to said housing to direct air initially tangentially into said first chamber and then in a spiral pattern around said centrally positioned exhaust duct.
 12. In an incinerator toilet having an upwardly facing waste receptacle, means foR moving said receptacle between waste receiving and waste burning positions, exhaust means for discharging gaseous products of combustion from said receptacle, and combustion means, the improvement comprising means for vertically lifting said waste receptacle into a telescoping position relative said combustion means. 